hoarding

[Adrienne.A.]

So Gunnar, my Norwegian Elkhound pup, has been hoarding things in his bed it's kind of cute, but a big nuisance because when I get up to take him out in the night at least one, if not both, of my slippers and shoes are gone. He never chews them, he just collects socks, pants, shirts, and most recently shoes in his bed.

We've tried putting everything up, but in the morning he has this mountain of stuff...he rolls in them and burrows in them but never chews them. I'm kind of confused as to how he's getting all these things into his bed (like I said, we put them up) and why he's doing it. We get him out for two walks per day, the second one is off-leash in the dog park and we do a couple clicker training sessions per day so I don't think he's bored.

Like I said, it's not a huge problem, it's mostly just funny. Especially when we wake up and he has this PILE of stuff on his bed, and then he looks at us with those "no I didn't" eyes, haha! Anyway, any insight into why he might be doing this and how we can help him not do it would be greatly appreciated...he has more toys than I know what to do with and he doesn't seem to care when we clean up his pile of stuff every morning....

[Doberluv]

I guess if he were my dog, I'd put the things I really can't afford to be searching high and low for, away where he can't get them. Otherwise, I wouldn't try to change that behavior for the world. I tihnk it's too cute! LOL.

[Maura]

I would look in his bed first for everything and save time. Our Boston likes to collect things also, but not as much as your Gunnar. However, she chews what she collects. Mostly slippers and shoes, but also blue jeans.

[PWCorgi]

Our family dog Mollie is 11 now and still does this with my mom's slippers. As soon as we leave she will grab one and keep it with her until we come home, then we get to figure out where she slept during the day because that is where the slipper will be

I wouldn't change the behavior either, as long as he's not chewing them. Like others have said, it's too cute!

[PlottMom]

LOL Abby hoards all HER stuff into her crate, but the other day I found a pair of my shorts in there, too! Unharmed, but in there with all her chew toys. My theory on why SHE does it, is she knows I won't touch anything in her crate (aside from my shorts, obviously...) and she's trying to keep me from throwing her stuff around (fetch) when she doesn't want to play lol.

[Adrienne.A.]

yeah, I think I might just let him be...he isn't harming anything, LOL, aside from all the puppy hair he gets on everything Like I said, he just rolls and burrows and flips around in the clothes and shoes and toys that he's collected over the course of the night...he took Tova's (my daughter) Elmo the other day! HAH! Tova was not impressed, she went running over screaming "NO ELMO NO ELMO!" and snatched Elmo back, hahaha she wouldn't stop hugging him (Elmo) for the next hour or so...now whenever Gunnar tries to add Elmo to the pile Tova yells "GUNAAA NOOOOOO" lol...

I'm still baffled by why he might be doing this, hmm...maybe it's just part of his personality Either way, we love him for it, haha, it's kind of endearing :P

[StillandSilent]

We had a dog at the shelter who would do the same thing. His dog bed was the round kind with sides, and he would gather up everything he could find, put it in the bed, and lay on top of it. Stuffed toys, pens, the shelter camera, paper, even cash one time. He never ruined them, never played with them, just sat on them.
If something was missing, all you had to do was go in there and reach underneath him like he was some sort of mutant laying hen and feel around until you found it.

[ShopieCha]

It seems to be a comfort thing.

I know my dog takes everything to her basket too. But usually only her toys. The fact that she does it at night might mean some sort of separation anxiety. You should look into the symptoms.